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Tʜᴇ Iʟʟ Yᴇᴀʀs
Beginning of the Ill Years The Ill Years began when the Foreign King '''sailed from the Mainland to Sorland. He was known as ''"King of the South" ''during this time. His Kingdom on the Mainland was so vast that he believed he had the workings of an Empire. Desiring more land and power, the Southern Fleet sailed North, to find the Isles of Sorland, a mainly unpopulated land. Only fishermen and farmers lived here, but to the Foreign King, they were dangerous enough to be a threat. He ordered his soldiers to pillage and burn the farmtowns and fishing ports, enslaving the locals. Children were murdered, men executed, women raped. It is told that the Foreign King cackled for an entire day while this happened. The Scourge of Sorland After two years, the locals had been made slaves. The Foreign King traded these slaves with ports on the Mainland, while making many slaves serve his nobles on Sorland. Enormous palaces, castles and towers were built, celebrating the might of the South. Gigantic statues, modelled after the Foreign King were erected on the high hills. The children of Sorland were all trained as soldiers and warriors, creating the Foreign King's great army. They went through brutal training, and many died before the age of five. It is told that the Foreign King had taken 16 wives to bear his children, but after a year, he discovered he was sterile. The militarisation of Sorland After hearing rumours that the other Southern Kings were plotting to assassinate the Foreign King, the Foreign King became paranoid and restless. All citizens of Sorland were forced into becoming soldiers so that his army was unstoppable. He had ordered the crafting of a fleet, and inspected the progress himself on the southern shore of Westnail Highland. But while he was panicking about the Southern Kings, he overlooked his own army. The Slave Rebellion '''Baston Berron, one of the commanders in the King's army, had begun a secret rebellion amongst the slave soldiers. By the ninth year, nine out of ten Sorland slaves were part of this secret rebellion. They acted on the first day of the tenth year, where they marched to the Westnail harbours and burnt the entire fleet. The Foreign King was furious. He demanded the death of every rebel. The slaves that remained loyal to the King obeyed, but they were severely outmatched. For the next two years, the war of Sorland raged on. The rebels fought the loyalists, the Northern Slaves fought the Foreign Soldiers. The statues of the Foreign King were destroyed, the palaces and castles were taken for the Slaves. Baston Berron won hundreds of battles. Victory was at hand. The Great Betrayal Baston Berron's right-hand man, Karn Secton, betrayed him by slaughtering half of Baston's army on the eastern cliffs of Lovingbear Shore. This was the first betrayal of the Sectons. Most of Baston's army left him to join the Foreign King, who had promised them Southern Riches. Baston's army now consisted of but 100 men. With a boiling hatred in their hearts, they marched north, with a need to slay the King. Berron goes north With his 100 men, Baston travelled from Lovingbear Shore to the Highest Finger. They liberated villages and towns on their journey, but each settlement couldn't afford any soldiers. When they passed the border of the Highest Finger, they were ambushed by Karn's army. They managed to defeat a third of his army, but after 20 of Berron's men were killed, they fell back to Lovingshore. Baston tried going around the border, going through the northern fields of Westnail Highlands to get to the Highest Finger, but again they were ambushed- this time by the Foreign King's loyalists. 40 of Baston's men were killed before he had to fall back. Baston and his 40 remaining men set up camp once again in Lovingshore. The Highest Finger was blocked, and they wouldn't be able to get through. They needed a different approach. Through the mines One of Baston's scouts discovered an old mine, north of Lovingbear. Baston believed it could be a way to get into the Highest Finger. The 40 men began their journey through the darkness, treading carefully. For most of the journey, it was peaceful. However, the mine had not been explored in a long time. Creatures were living in the dark- black rats, enormous spiders and cave leeches. The leeches and rats were poisonous, but did not affect their journey. The spiders, however, were fierce and deadly. Berron's men attacked the monsters in the dark, without even seeing them. The spiders slowly picked them down. 6 men died, and 4 were wounded before all the spiders were slain. After the hard trek, they finally spotted the exit, and entered the lands of the Foreign King. The eleventh year was in its final months. The Battle of Northgate Because the King's armies were surrounding the borders of the Highest Finger, Baston was not stopped when he entered into the mid-lands of the Highest Finger. The 4 wounded men died of their wounds, leaving Baston with but 30 men- later known as "The Iron Thirty". They continued journeying north, preparing for the battle to come. Berron had reason to believe the Foreign King was in Northgate Keep, the most northern point of the Highest Finger. But when they reached the outskirts of Northgate Keep, Baston was surprised to see an army of 200 guarding the Keep. Secton, Forleim, and Torquaen men were defending the Foreign King on his false throne. Baston's men blew the warhorns, and charged, with a clattering and shaking of spears and shields. Shields shattered, flesh was pierced, blood was spilled. The Battle of Northgate was legendary. The Iron Thirty fought the Foreign 200, screaming for freedom and justice. The King's army continued to be felled by the Thirty...200 became 150...150 became 100. During the chaos, Baston spotted the golden crown of the Foreign King, and marched towards him. In front of the gates of the castle, on the bloody fields of the Highest Finger, in the sight of gods and men, Baston Berron lifted his longsword with a god-like strength, and swung it forward. The Foreign King's head defied gravity by dropping from his shoulders, leaving him only with a bloody stump for a neck. The King's corpse fell to its knees, while the crown-adorned head rolled down the bloody fields. When the King's army saw that their King was dead, they dropped their weapons and retreated. The Battle of Northgate was won...and the war was over. Aftermath of the Ill Years Baston could not execute all the men who betrayed him- instead, he pardoned them, and let them return to his side. All of the King's armies joined Baston. Northgate Keep was burned to the ground. Baston's Iron Thirty wasn't innocent, though. After the war had finished, Baston had heard that his Iron Thirty had raped and murdered The Foreign King's 16 wives- even though they did not want to marry the King in the first place. Baston ordered the execution of his Iron Thirty- all thirty were hanged on the ruins of Northgate Keep. Karn Secton was burned alive, tied to an oak tree. This tree is now called "Karn's Tree", and still stands, to this day. Baston was made King of Sorland, and reigned for 11 years before dying from his war wounds. No one is quite sure what happened to The Foreign King's head...or his crown. In fact, nobody even remembers his name.